I spent a day in Wimbledon, and the London neighborhood was even fancier than the tennis tournament

As a person living in London, it's impossible to escape the buzz of the Wimbledon tennis championships. While I only have a mild enjoyment of tennis at best, which is directly correlated to when the iconic Williams sisters are playing, I have always been fascinated by the lifestyle the British sporting event invokes.

The 2022 tennis tournament, which began on June 20 and will run until Sunday, marks 100 Years of Centre Court, according to Vogue. I thought this anniversary was the perfect time to visit the area to see how it's shaped by the famous championships.

I also wanted to know what the neighborhood behind the tournament is like, away from the pristine white outfits and artificial grass.

Wimbledon is a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of southwest London, in the London Borough of Merton. It can be accessed by train or by taking the underground to the very end of the District line, according to Transport for London.

I boarded a 16-minute South Western Railway train from London Waterloo and quickly arrived at Wimbledon station, which can also be accessed by London Underground services.

As soon as I stepped out of the station, I was met with an overwhelming display of Wimbledon branding. I had been there no longer than two minutes before an eager employee came over to recommend a route to the tournament, which is located at Wimbledon Park, a 27-minute walk away from the station.

I rode the bus for a few stops to get closer to the championship grounds. The event seemed well organized and the transport was surprisingly efficient.

As any Londoner will know, transport in London can be pretty chaotic, subject to delays, overcrowding during major events, and cancelations — this Wimbledon fantasy felt like a world away from everyday London.

During the journey, it was clear that local businesses were making full use of the added footfall and most had filled their window displays with tennis balls, rackets, and flowers.

Wimbledon village had a number of independent brunch spots, expensive London-based food chains, and homeware stores like Farrow and Ball as well as Le Creuset.

The quaint storefronts were often pastel-colored and sold luxury products. This confirmed my suspicions that Wimbledon is still fancy away from the courts.

According to the Evening Standard, there is no official dress code for the event but smart dress is encouraged.

As soon as the Centre Court entrance became visible, I suddenly saw people in summery dresses, blazers, linen pants, and Panama hats. I felt slightly out of place in my torn jeans and gimmicky Adidas tennis T-shirt.

So iconic is the Wimbledon queue that it has its own marking on Google Maps. I navigated my way to the space, which the Wimbledon guide notes is for buying limited Show Court tickets available on the day or a Grounds ticket, which gives access to unreserved seating in certain courts.

By the time I arrived the queue had died down but as Insider's Barnaby Lane previously reported, the queue is a social activity itself, where those who love tennis can socialize and even camp overnight to secure the best same-day tickets.

I was approached by a worker who said that if I posted a photo of myself on Instagram in front of the Centre Court backdrop with a racket and tennis balls in my best victory pose, I'd be entered into a draw for £100, or around $120.

I decided against it, but I was impressed by the green telephone booths I saw people waiting outside.

A sign noted that if you answered the phone when it rings you could win prizes. This was a fun touch to the queue and reminded me that I was, in fact, in London. This, along with the drinking spots, made my Belgian friend remark that it felt like "the Disney World of tennis."

As you get further out from the center of London, houses typically get bigger and more spaced out but these Wimbledon homes felt like they weren't in the capital city at all.

I walked around seeing beautiful gated properties that I could only dream of owning in London. Having previously spent time in other less affluent parts of the London Borough of Merton, I know that this luxury does not extend to other pockets of the area.

According to Rightmove, Wimbledon has an overall average house price of £929,659, or over $1.1 million, while the neighboring area of Morden has half the overall average price of Wimbledon, at £463,374, or around $557,000. Wimbledon has been home to wealthy residents for decades and this directly shapes the community.

Mansion Global reported that the homes on the parkside view of the common cost an average of £10 million, or around $13 million, and have come to be known as Wimbledon's millionaires' row.

My previous experience of Wimbledon was that it's a suburb that doesn't appear to have as diverse a population as other parts of Merton. With this in mind, I was surprised to come across Buddhapadipa Temple.

As the UK's first Thai Buddhist temple, which relocated to the area in 1976, according to the area's website, it invited a lot of children on school trips. On arrival, I took my shoes off and entered the temple to see brightly-colored murals painted on the wall and a monk scrolling on his iPhone.

From its vibrant lights to its tasteful interiors, it was clear to me that Demitasse appealed to Wimbledon's wealthier residents. I only ordered an iced latte for £3.70, or around $4.40, as I was saving myself for a cream tea later.

I can often tell if a London cafe is fancier based on its refusal to sell coffee syrups, but despite having to drink coffee as it should be tasted without the syrup, the cafe was a relaxing environment.

The Ivy is a cafe and restaurant chain that began in London in 1917, according to its website. According to Harper's Bazaar, even the Queen enjoys visiting the art-deco establishment. Other guests at the celebrity hotspot have included Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, and Brad Pitt, The Guardian reported.

The Ivy has become synonymous with luxury dining over the years due to its stunning interiors. The staff also wear smart tailored uniforms to add to the atmosphere. It suited Wimbledon perfectly in my opinion.

I stepped in to ask for a table and, after a short wait, I was having a typically British cream tea consisting of a pot of breakfast tea and a jam and cream scone. I paid £8.75, or around $10.50, which I found to be surprisingly reasonable for London. It costs upwards of £70, or around $84, to have a full afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason, a luxury British food establishment.

From The Ivy Cafe, which is located in the center of the village, I walked for around 15 minutes before reaching Wimbledon Common. While most areas in London have a park or common, this felt like a family-orientated space with older couples walking their dogs or taking their children out.

In the center of the common, I found an out-of-use windmill that was erected in the 19th century to serve the community who wanted to have their own mill for local use, according to the windmill's website. The page adds that the large structure stopped working in 1864.

I was struck by how many unique features there are in Wimbledon that I had never heard of before.

Wimbledon is a part of London that has had quirky cultural relevance outside of its sporting reputation. According to the Wimbledon Guardian, a local newspaper, Lara Croft, the archaeologist main character of the video game franchise "Tomb Raider," was supposedly from Wimbledon and attended Wimbledon High School.

In 2020, Wimbledon train station revealed a mural nodding to the stars of the 1973 children's TV show "The Wombles," eco-conscious creatures that featured in Elisabeth Beresford's children's books as early as 1968, South West Londoner reported. I left with an understanding that Wimbledon has a very niche history that it seems to be very proud of.

I enjoyed my time in Wimbledon but it seemed like a space for a very particular type of person thanks to its luxury stores and restaurants, and therefore felt quite insular compared to other more eclectic London neighborhoods.

The streets were clean, the shops were selling an expensive lifestyle, and the visitors were enjoying this dream world that lies just kilometers away from more racially and economically diverse parts of London such as Brixton, Tooting, and Kingston.